title: Anxiety and prevalence of psychiatric disorders among patients awaiting surgery for suspected ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of the current study was to determine the anxiety level and prevalence of psychiatric disorders among patients awaiting surgery for ovarian tumors. Also analyzed were the predictive factors for psychiatric disorders and changes after surgical diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who underwent surgery for ovarian tumors were examined before and after surgery with the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Mausley Personality Inventory (MPI). Participants diagnosed with cancer were examined a third time after being given an explanation about whether or not adjuvant chemotherapy was required.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-seven participants completed the study and were analyzed. Nine (33.3%) of these 27 participants were diagnosed as having adjustment disorder. There were no differences in the demographic data, STAI trait anxiety score and MPI score between the participants with or without adjustment disorder. At the pre-surgical interview, the STAI state anxiety score of the participants was high (49.5 +/- 10.30). After pathological examination of the tumors, it was found that 12 patients had cancer (malignant group) and 15 patients had a benign tumor (benign group). At pre-surgery, the prevalence of adjustment disorder and the level of anxiety in the benign group were similar to those in the malignant group. There was a second surge of anxiety in patients who needed chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The above findings demonstrate that patients with suspected ovarian cancer experience a high level of anxiety. Physicians should be aware of the risk of adjustment disorder in these patients. Additionally, ovarian cancer patients need psychological assessment during the course of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sukegawa
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miyagi
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asai-Sato
authors.forename: Haruya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saji
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamijyo
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirayasu
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Fumiki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hirahara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies